Solenoid stop valve



` j AP111421, 1936. G. HERBsTER SOLENOID STOP VALVE Filed Aug. 23, mss

INVENTOR QATTORNEYJ n v` Parenteel Apr. 2 1, q1936 UNITED... STATES;

,OFFICE This invention relates to a solenoidoperated stop valve for controlling the ow of iluids, and

.particularly to a valve of the solenoid type for use in connection with ygas .burning appliances such as water heaters and ythe like.

Heretofore inoperationjof valvesof this character with alternating electrical current, considerable' diillculty` has been experienced due to vchattering of the operating mechanismjwith consequent annoying'noise and also uneven wear and damage to the working parts.

An object of the present invention is topro- Y vide a valve of this character which may be operated by alternating electrical current and which, inl operation, will'V be free from chattering and vibration when theelectric circuit is energized.

Another object of the present invention .is to providea solenoid operated valve inwhich' the coil and electrical parts'are completely isolated from the liquid or fluid passing through the valvebody' so that there is no possibility of contact I of the'fiuid' with the electrical elements.

A correlative object is to provide a valve operated by such an isolated coil which has no moving parts extending out of the valve body whereby packingglands and the like are unnecessary.

A more specific objectis to ,provide a valve of this character whichis simple in construction and which may be manufactured and assembled economically by the -`usualv quantity production methods, l

Other objectsand advantages will become apparent v'from the following specication wherein reference is made to thedrawing.

In the drawing: Fig.' 1 is a front elevation of a valve illustraitin the preferred form of' the invention;

. 7A Fig. 2 is a top vplan view of the valve illustrated in Fig. 1, the cover plate being removed for clearness in lillustration; i

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view takenon a plane I indicated by the line 3--3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of a pory tion of the valve and is taken on a plane indicated by the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

' modified form of the valve, the modified portion being shown insection for clearness in illustration;` Fig.'6is as'ectional-view-taken on a. plane indicated by the line G -iiof Fig. 5; and f Fig. 'l is a diagrammatic illustration of the water heater and tank illustrating one use of the valve landthe electrical connections untllized- Jdevices,' the arrangement' of the working parts 55 therefor.

.Referring to Figs. 41 -to 4 the valve `is illustratively shown', for use in connection with a gas water heater and comprises ahollo`w body member I having an inlet passage 2 and a dischargepassage 3, the former for communication with 5 a source of fuel and the latter for communication with a service or otherbuiner. The passages 2 and 3 communicate interiorly of the body I, a valve seat l being provided intermediate the passages. A valve plug 5 is arranged for seating. 10 on the seat 4 preferably on the inlet side, for communicating and discommunicatingthe passages 2 and-3, as will later be described', v

In event of failure in operation due to failure of the electrical power or-for` any reason, a by- 15 Y' ypass is'provided for `communicating the inlet passage 2 with the discharge passage :Laroundv the valve. This by-pass may comprise a duct 6 communicating the interior of. the'body on the linlet side of the valve with an intersecting'duct 20 1, the duct 1, in turn, communicating with the discharge passage on the opposite side of the valve. A suitable hand eratedneedle valve 8 is provided for blocking the passage 6 when the by-pass is not in use. In general, the valve may be futilized forcentrol of nuids inv various systems but when provided 'for use in connection with gas burners and the like it is usually necessary to provide means for feeding gas to a pilot burner aswell as to a service burner. For this purpose a duct 9 is arranged for communicating the-interior of the body preferably. on. the .inlet side of the plug, with an additional duct i0, 4which latter is arr'ranged for communication with a feed line to the 35 pilot burner. In the form illustrated, a protuberant threaded portion Il is provided on the body|for effecting connection with the pilot feed line so as to communicate the duct I0 therewith. A hand operated needle valve or adjusting .screw 40 i2 is mounted in the'body for regulating the flow of gas through the du'ct i0 to the pilot, i j Heretofore, in valves of this character, it has been the practice to seat or unseat the plug by means .of a spring and to utilize, for seating the al'somust overcome the resistance of a spring. 50

As a result, arrextremely large coil or a high degree of poweris required to operateV the valve, the amount required beingdisproportionate to the result to be eilected. Furthermore, in such by which the plug is moved to seated and unseated positions is such that fluid often enters or comes in contact with the electrical parts of the valve, or parts of the operating mechanism lmust extend out of the valve body and be packed body and communicates with the interior of the body, for example, on the inlet side of the-seat 4. The guide I6 is preferably coaxial with the seat 4 and integral with the valve body or at least sealed to prevent communication between the interior of the valve body andthe space between the cylinder I6 and housing I5., Disposed within the guide I6 and reciprocable axially thereof is a plunger I`I,\the lower end of which engages the valve plug 5 so that, upon reciprocation of the plunger I1, the valve plug 5 is lifted from and lowered onto the seat 4 for opening and closing the valve. Since the valve seats from the inlet side of the seat, the fluidV pressure in the passage 2 tends to seat the valve lmore firmly on its seat and thus the pressure of the uid itself is utilized in assisting the maintenance of sealing engagement of the valve and seat. The plunger I'I is preferably solid metal, such as steel, having suiiicient weight te seat the valve 5 by gravity.

The guide I6 is'sealed at the upper end by a suitable cap Il so as to prevent the leakage of any fluid outwardly thereof. Within the annular space between the guide I6 and housing I5 is disposed a .U-shaped bar 20 having a passage through its base adapted to receive and snugly embrace the outer wall of the guide I6 and having its `arms disposed upwardly. An electromagnetic solenoid coil 2I is disposed about the plunger guide I6 as a center'and extends the major portion of the length of the guide. Across the upper end of the arms of the bar 2.0 is a suitable binding strap 22, of metal, likewise pro- The upper end portion of the housing I5 is threaded internally to receive a complementarily threaded closure plate 23. The plate is provided with a central depression 2l adapted, to receive the upper end of a compression spring 25, the lower end of which spring abuts the bar 22, so that upon'screwing the cap firmly in position the springwill be compressed and hold the bar 22 rmly in position against the upper ends of the bar 20.

fMounted on the housing yI5 is a triple binding post plate 26 of insulatingmaterial, having electrical binding posts 2'I, 28 and 29 respectively insulated from each other and from the valve body. Opposite terminiof the coil 2I are connected to the posts 21 and 2B respectively.

Referring to Fig. 7 in whichvone use of the' v device is illustrated diatically. the discharge passage -3 communicates with 4a service burner S 'arranged for heating the usual hot water heating device H communicated with the tank B, the pilot P being provided and arranged for communication with the duct I0 of the valve. The binding post 29 is provided so that two thermostats can be connected readily in series and the valve made responsive to close when' either thermostat breaks the circuit and to open only when both thermostats are in contact. For example,` a thermostat T1 is provided on the tank and a thermostat T2 provided near the pilot burner. These thermostats are connected in series either directly with a volt alternating or direct circuit, or if desired, with a 110 volt A. C. transformer. One wire fromA each of the thermostats Tx and 'I'2 may thus be connected with the respective binding posts 21 and 28 thus placing the thermostats and coil 2I in series. The other wires from the two thermostats may go to the common binding post.29 to complete the Aseries connection. If only one thermostat is used, the binding post 29 of course is unneces- The valve is preferably so arranged that when the electric circuit is open, the plug is in seated position, as shown in Fig. 3, having moved to seated position due to its weight and being held in such position by its weight and by pressure of the fluid on the`inlet side of the valve. The thermostat T1, makes contact when the 'water in the tank is cold and breaks contact when heated a predetermined degree thereby. The thermostat T2 makes contact when heated by the pilot and breaks contact when cooled consequent upon extinguishing of the pilot. Thus either extinguish- Y -ing the pilot or overheating the water opens the usual chattering and vibration is eliminated and only a very faint A.A C. hum, which is hardly detectable, is present. If for any reason the electric circuit is broken,'or the power is accidentally shut oi, the plunger is released by the coil and the plug immediately seats, thus rendering the device entirely safe. The plunger, as stated, is preferably made of steel or soft iron, and is so connected to the plug that its own weight is added to the plug for assisting in seating.

Other metals may be used, however, especially with alternating current, as the current` induced in the plunger, resulting from reversal of the A. C. current in the coil, lags sufficiently behind the reversal in the'coil that the normally non-magnetic metal is properly'energized to react to the ux and be, in fact, magnetically responsive. In the use of direct current, the thermostats can be arranged so as to connect the circuit for flow in the reverse direction from that in which it -was flowing when opened, thus energizing the coil to produce an opposite flux and positively move the valve to closing position as wel] as open. In this latter instanceVa plunger of permanently magnetizable material such as steel or iron is used.

It should be noted that the guide IB, as above .,mentioned, is sealed at the upper end so that it Aposedvvithin the limits'of the seat it is freely movable unimpeded by anyforce other than its cept for the electromagnetic device, is illustrated.` In some cases it becomes necessary to place a` valve in a position wherein it will not operate eifectively by gravity but must be spring seated. The valve illustrated in Fig. is provided for such purpose.

In theiorm illustrated in Fig. 5 the various parts corresponding to parts above are designated by corresponding prime numerals, these parts being in every way the same. In this form the plunger comprises two substantially vsemi-cylindrical segments 30 and 3|-, adapted to iit into the may slide radially outwardly and inwardly thereon a sufficient amount to rmly engage the guide side walls as an abutment when moved outwardly.

A compression spring 34 is provided, the spring being located preferably in the upper end of the cylinder g'uide I6', abutting the closure cap at its upper end and the segments 3|! and 3| of the plunger at the lower end for urging the valve into seated position. If it is desired to unseat the valve by a spring, the spring can be arranged beneath the plug in any well known manner. When the coil 2|' is energized, it reacts on the segments 30 and 3| and lifts them axially in the guide ISV' to unseat the valve 5' 'at the-same time overcoming the resistance of theA spring. and compressing the same. Ordinarily, when the plunger has reached its central position within the coil,- and is holding the valve unseated with the spring. 34 compressed, a chattering occurs; However, since the segments 30 and 3| are free to move outwardly on the pin 33 and since there` isa lag between the reversals of flux in thesegments 30 and 3| in relation to the reversal in the coil, as soon as the segments have reached the central position they spread `apart and are held by the magnet-ic iiux firmly against the side wall of th guide I6', thus frictionally locking them in fixed longitudinal position in the guide as well ,as by. the direct electromagnetic effect. ByV rthis arrangement the spring 'ishel'd'ilrmly in compressedtheir operation and will remain in good operating condition under the most adverse conditions ,1. A solenoid operatedr fluid valve comprising a-hollow body having an inlet passage and an outlet passage.:1 a valve seat intermediate said The segments 30v and 3| are securedtomoving passages, a valve plug movable toward and away from the seat and cooperable therewith whenv so moved to open and close the valve respectively.

a plunger guide, a radially expansible plunger mounted in the guide'for travel in opposite directions and operably connected-to the plug for moving the plug, an electromagneticcoil operable when energizedto eiIect travel of said plunger in one direction in the guide and to expand said plunger radially into firm contact with s'id guide after eifecting said travel means to re-. turn the plunger in the opposite of said directions when the coil is unenergiz'ed and said plunger being readily contracted from its expanded condition consequent upon unenergization of said coil. .2; A' solenoid operated fluid valve comprising a'hollow body-having an inlet passage and an outlet passage, a valve seat intermediate said passages, a valve plug movable toward and away `fromthe seat and cooperable therewith when so movedto open and close the valve respectively,

a plunger guide member, a plunger member -mounted in the guide member for travel irl4 opposite directions longitudinally of the guide member and operably connected to the plug, for moving the plug to open and closed positions respectively, a portion Ioi? one of said members being magnetically responsive and movable radially of the plunger member relatively toward and away from a portionof the other of said members, said\ relatively movable portions being engageable when moved radially in one of said radial directions, electromagnetic means operable when energized to effect travel of the plunger member in one direction longitudinal of .the guide members and to move the said relatively movable portions of said members radially into firm contact :with each other after eiecting said travel.

v3. A valve comprising a'hollow body having an inlet passage and an outlet passage, a valve seat intermediatesaid passages, a valve plug'movable toward and away from the seat and operable when so moved yto open and close the valve respectively, a stem on said plug, a plunger guide,' a plunger within said guide movable in opposite er comprising a plurality of magnetically re- 'sponsive segments, said segments beingmov- 'able outwardly and inwardlyradially of the guide and operable when movedoutwardly to firmly .engage the guide wall, means urging s'aid plug to one operating position, electromagnetic means operable when energized to move said plunger in one of said dirst mentioned opposite directions whereby theplungerl moves to the longitudinal center of the coil and Ato move said segme'nts outwardlyfinto iirmcontact with the guide wall.

4. A valve comprising a hollow. body having the plug to move the plug in one direction consequent upon movement of the plunger in "one direction, said plunger being magnetically re-` sponsive and radially expansible', a plunger guide mounting said plungerA for reciprocating movement, means urging said plug to one operating position, electromagnetic means operable when energized to move `said plunger in `one direction along the guide and operable to expand the plunger a sufiicient degree to effect interlocking engagement thereof with said guide.' -5`. In a `solenoid plunger operatedstop valve,

- directions and connected to said stem, said plung-'i a valve body having a closed compartment, a

' plunger guide coaxial therewith andof smaller cross sectional area than the compartment, the

space between th'e guide and walls of the compartment being sealed from communication with ment at opposite ends of said guide and additiony al bars of ux conducting material in said compartment connecting the corresponding `ends o! the rst mentioned bars, said4 coil means being in ilux inducing relationship to said bars, said plunger guide extending longitudinally in both ,directions beyond the transverse ilux conducting bars, a plunger responsive tothe ux of said coil and accomodated in the guideway for movement longitudinally therealong, whereby the plunger 'may move to positions wherein part of the plunger lies inthe plane of one of said transverse bars.

` GEORGE 'HERBSTER 

